How to Succeed as a Multi-Unit Franchisee: Tracy Bouwens, Scooter’s Coffee

Multi-unit franchise owner Tracy Bouwens has a tip for franchisees with the goal of successfully expanding their portfolio. 

Start with a strong franchisor.

There’s more to it, of course. Bouwens, who owns 50 franchise locations of Scooter’s Coffee with her husband Shawn Bouwens in the Kansas City area says successfully operating multiple units requires three more factors: a strong team, good leadership, and finally, good old-fashioned grit and determination. 

But who you partner with is critical. In Tracy’s case, she thinks Scooter’s corporate team is a key component to her success over the past 17 years. “The support they provide for myself and other franchisees in the Scooter system is top-notch,” she said. 

It makes all the difference on days when the going gets a little rough, Bouwens says: “I feel like without that support and without that partnership — because it doesn't feel like a franchise or franchisee relationship; it feels like a partnership in a business relationship — we can work together and partner on solutions and continue to advance the brand together.”

Even with a strong partner, however, it’s up to you to make it a success, particularly if you’re determined to grow. That starts with planning. “In growing your portfolio, infrastructure in your company is super, super important,” Bouwens says. “One of the things that I learned over time is that I have to be willing to prepare and plan ahead of growth.” 

It’s a lesson she and her husband learned over nearly two decades in the franchising world. “I didn't really know what I was doing [when I started]. The one thing that really mattered to us at the time was that our core values — our family's — aligned with Scooters.” 

To the Bouwens, that alignment meant that when the going gets tough, as it does in any business, having a healthy working relationship meant they could work through any challenge. “For us, that was a really huge thing,” she said.

Watch the full video interview above, or click here to watch it on YouTube.